GROW THE GAME
FOCUS ON GROW THE GAME Solely funded by The FA and delivered on their behalf by the Football Foundation, Grow the Game is a scheme that focuses on creating brand new association football teams. Grants of £1,500 are made available to every new team created, helping to relieve the financial burden on clubs by paying for FA coaching courses, FA league affiliation costs, referees’ fees, first aid kits and even kit and equipment. The grants are targeted at traditionally underrepresented groups in community football, including women and girls’ teams and disability teams. In 2018, 491 Grow the Game grants were awarded worth £1.75m. This helped to form 1,166 new teams and deliver access to football for more than 12,500 people.
BANTAMS LADIES DISABILITY TEAM MAKES CUP FINAL IN FIRST YEAR
“ THE IMPROVED EQUIPMENT HAS HAD KNOCK-ON BENEFITS TO OUR PLAYER RECRUITMENT, AND WE’VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO CREATE AN ENTIRE NEW TEAM AT UNDER-7S LEVEL.” If you quickly combine a team of individuals who have never played football together before, a period of transition and some teething problems would be expected. But Bradford City’s Ladies Disability Team certainly wasted no time in getting to know each other after being awarded a Grow the Game grant. Incredibly, the Bantams went all the way to the final of The FA People’s Cup at St George’s Park, eventually succumbing to three times winners, Aston Villa.
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FOCUS ON THE FOOTBALL FOUNDATION
The achievement was all the more remarkable given that four of the seven community stars had never kicked a ball before pulling on their Bradford City kits. Gemma Rose Fletcher, Bradford City Disability FC goalkeeper, said: “Bradford City Disability FC has changed my life for the better. I didn’t really know many people with disabilities until I met the team and coaches. We train once a week and all have a laugh with each other, and I have made many new friends through the club. “Having started by playing in the South Yorkshire Ability Counts League just a few months ago, it was one of the best experiences of my life to reach The FA People’s Cup Final. It felt like a dream and I’m so proud of
